Lad: A Yorkshire Story[/caption]
Lad: A Yorkshire Story, directed by Dan Hartley was awarded the top prize, the Golden Oosikars for Best Feature at the 2012 Anchorage International Film Festival which ran November 30 to December 12, 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska. Set in the starkly beautiful Yorkshire Dales, the film is described as a heart-warming tale of two individuals overcoming adversity and in the process forming a unique and inspiring friendship.
Roadmap to Apartheid, directed by Ana Nogueira won the award for Best Documentary. Co- directors Ana Nogueira and Eron Davidson are respectively a white South African and a Jewish Israeli. Drawing on their first-hand knowledge of the issues, the directors take a close look at the apartheid comparison often used to describe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their film breaks down the rhetorical analogy into a fact-based comparison, noting where the analogy is useful and appropriate, and where it is not. Their film is as much a historical document of the rise and fall of Apartheid as it is a film about why Palestinians feel that they are living in an Apartheid system today, and why an increasing number of people around the world agree with them.
The complete list of Golden Oosikars winners at the 2012 Anchorage International Film Festival
Golden Oosikars
Features
Best Feature: “Lad: A Yorkshire Story“, directed by Dan Hartley
Runner Up: “Things I Don’t Understand“, directed by David Spaltro
Honorable Mention: “Shouting Secrets“, directed by Korinna Sehringer
Documentaries
Best Documentary: “Roadmap to Apartheid“, directed by Ana Nogueira
Runner Up: “The World Before Her“, directed by Nisha Dahuja
Honorable Mention: “Ping Pong“, directed by Hugh Hartford
Shorts
Best Short: “Lapse“, directed by Gilles Gueraz
Runner Up: “Calcutta Taxi“, directed by Vikram Dasgupta
Honorable Mention: “Cockatoo“, directed by Matthew Jenkin
Super Shorts
Best Super Short: “Her Next Door“, directed by Sasha Ransome
Runner Up: “Matriarche“, directed by Guillaume Pierret
Honorable Mention: “Polarised“, directed by Steve Fleming
Animation
Best Animation: “Paths of Hate“, directed by Damian Nenow
Runner Up: “Light Me Up“, directed by Ryan Walton and Derek Dolechek
Honorable Mention: “Lemons“, directed by Kate Burck
Snowdance
Documentaries
Best Snowdance Documentary: “Rousseau’s Children“, directed by Monika Scharer
Runner Up: “No Horizon Anymore: A Year Long Journey at the Bottom of the World“, directed by Keith Reimink
Shorts
Best Snowdance Short: “I Met Her in the Coffee Shop“, directed by Erik Hogan
Runner Up: “Scare“, directed by Matt Jardin
Audience Choice
Features
Audience Choice Feature: “Passionflower“, directed by Shelagh Carter
Runner Up: “Shouting Secrets“, directed by Korinna Sehringer
Documentaries
Audience Choice Documentary: “Espacios Inacabados (Unfinished Spaces)“, directed by Alysa Nahmias and Benjamin Murray
Runner Up: “Wolves Unleashed“, directed by Andrew SimpsonTerry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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Lad: A Yorkshire Story Wins Best Feature at 2012 Anchorage International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_2982" align="alignnone" width="550"] Lad: A Yorkshire Story[/caption]
Lad: A Yorkshire Story, directed by Dan Hartley was awarded the top prize, the Golden Oosikars for Best Feature at the 2012 Anchorage International Film Festival which ran November 30 to December 12, 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska. Set in the starkly beautiful Yorkshire Dales, the film is described as a heart-warming tale of two individuals overcoming adversity and in the process forming a unique and inspiring friendship.
Roadmap to Apartheid, directed by Ana Nogueira won the award for Best Documentary. Co- directors Ana Nogueira and Eron Davidson are respectively a white South African and a Jewish Israeli. Drawing on their first-hand knowledge of the issues, the directors take a close look at the apartheid comparison often used to describe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their film breaks down the rhetorical analogy into a fact-based comparison, noting where the analogy is useful and appropriate, and where it is not. Their film is as much a historical document of the rise and fall of Apartheid as it is a film about why Palestinians feel that they are living in an Apartheid system today, and why an increasing number of people around the world agree with them.
The complete list of Golden Oosikars winners at the 2012 Anchorage International Film Festival
Golden Oosikars
Features
Best Feature: “Lad: A Yorkshire Story“, directed by Dan Hartley
Runner Up: “Things I Don’t Understand“, directed by David Spaltro
Honorable Mention: “Shouting Secrets“, directed by Korinna Sehringer
Documentaries
Best Documentary: “Roadmap to Apartheid“, directed by Ana Nogueira
Runner Up: “The World Before Her“, directed by Nisha Dahuja
Honorable Mention: “Ping Pong“, directed by Hugh Hartford
Shorts
Best Short: “Lapse“, directed by Gilles Gueraz
Runner Up: “Calcutta Taxi“, directed by Vikram Dasgupta
Honorable Mention: “Cockatoo“, directed by Matthew Jenkin
Super Shorts
Best Super Short: “Her Next Door“, directed by Sasha Ransome
Runner Up: “Matriarche“, directed by Guillaume Pierret
Honorable Mention: “Polarised“, directed by Steve Fleming
Animation
Best Animation: “Paths of Hate“, directed by Damian Nenow
Runner Up: “Light Me Up“, directed by Ryan Walton and Derek Dolechek
Honorable Mention: “Lemons“, directed by Kate Burck
Snowdance
Documentaries
Best Snowdance Documentary: “Rousseau’s Children“, directed by Monika Scharer
Runner Up: “No Horizon Anymore: A Year Long Journey at the Bottom of the World“, directed by Keith Reimink
Shorts
Best Snowdance Short: “I Met Her in the Coffee Shop“, directed by Erik Hogan
Runner Up: “Scare“, directed by Matt Jardin
Audience Choice
Features
Audience Choice Feature: “Passionflower“, directed by Shelagh Carter
Runner Up: “Shouting Secrets“, directed by Korinna Sehringer
Documentaries
Audience Choice Documentary: “Espacios Inacabados (Unfinished Spaces)“, directed by Alysa Nahmias and Benjamin Murray
Runner Up: “Wolves Unleashed“, directed by Andrew Simpson
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Bronx International Film Festival to Kick Off On December 6th with French Film Vole Comme Un Papillon
[caption id="attachment_2957" align="alignnone" width="550"]
Vole Comme Un Papillon[/caption]The world premiere of the French film Vole Comme Un Papillon will open the 10th Annual Bronx International Film Festival on Thursday, December 6th, 2013, at the Lovinger Theater at Lehman College, in the Bronx, New York City.
Vole Comme Un Papillon directed by Jerome Maldhe and starring Max Gomis, Sabrina Ouazani, Hammou Graia, and Zaher Rehaz; is about Youssef who lives in a dormitory town and has just celebrated his 13 years. His best friend, Ladji, is plunged into the coma recently. When Youssef learns that the culprit is other one than his brother, he sees his family tearing under the eyes and tries to pick up the pieces.
The three-day festival runs through Saturday December 8, at Lovinger Theater at Lehman College and includes more than 30 shorts, documentaries, animated and feature-length movies.
The complete lineup:
THURSDAY – 8PM
VOLE COMME UN PAPILLON
FRIDAY – 8PM
ASTORGOS
DOUGLAS
EVOLUTION
FAIS CROQUER
HEADS UP
HEARTLAND
KAVINKSY
NAUFRAGOS
NO WHERE, NO ONE
ROBOT MAN
ROTOS
SPLIT TIME
THE BOAT
TU & EU
SATURDAY – 7PM
ATONAL
DOCKET 32357
Q
THE TELEGRAM MAN
NO MESSAGES
THE WORLD OUTSIDE
PRO KOPF
WRIGLEY AND KING
GABI
LE TETTE DI UNA DICIOTTENNE
PARETO PRINCIPAL
SON OF MAN
WALT
NOWHERE IN PARTICULAR
THE RUNNER
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2012 Arpa International Film Festival Showcasing Armenian Films Opens in LA November 29 with Comedian Jamie Kennedy’s LOST & FOUND IN ARMENIA
[caption id="attachment_2933" align="alignnone" width="1020"]
LOST & FOUND IN ARMENIA[/caption]The 15th annual Arpa International Film Festival opens on Thursday November 29 and runs through December 2, 2012 at The Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, California showcasing over 60 feature films, documentaries and short films from 17 countries.
This year’s N. American bows include Tobias Tobbell’s (The Drummond Will) British thriller CONFINE starring Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones) and supermodel Daisy Lowe in her feature debut . Also showing for the first time in N.America is Aram Sukiasyan’s rock opera WANDERING. ‘Wandering’ is the first such film made in Armenia.
West Coast feature premieres include Nicolas Tackian’s French drama AZAD and Ajay Singh’s endearing family film UPSIDE DOWN (Khalti Doka Varti Paay). The latter film from India was an official selection of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival’s World Cinema section.
These films join the North American premiers of the opening night film Gor Kirakosian’s comedy LOST & FOUND IN ARMENIA (USA), Centerpiece Program Sebastian Siegel’s documentary AWAKENING WORLD (USA), the taboo breaking ZENNE DANCER (TURKEY) and Closing Night Film Armenia’s Official Submission to the Foreign Language Category at the 85th Academy Awards® Natalya Belyauskene’s powerful drama IF ONLY EVERYONE (Armenia) . The Festival will also host acclaimed filmmaker Tsvetana Paskaleva’s revival screening of WOUNDS OF KARABAKH (1994) and Hrach Keshishyan’s special sneak peak of his forthcoming 2013 historical epic feature film, NJDEH. Both filmmakers will be in attendance at Arpa International Film Festival.
15th Annual Arpa International Film Festival Program
OPENING NIGHT GALA Thursday, November 29, 7:30 PM
LOST & FOUND IN ARMENIA (2012)
Country: Armenia, USA
Director: Gor Kirakosian
Writer: Narek Ghaplanyan, Gor Kirakosian, Krist Manaryan
Producer: Maral Djerejian, Valerie McCaffrey
Duration 1:40:00
Language: English
US PREMIERE/Opening Night Film
Lost & Found in Armenia is the story of Bill (Jamie Kennedy), an American tourist who travels to Turkey to get his mind off a bad break up. In a comedic and dangerous turn of events, Bill unknowingly ends up in a small village in Armenia, where he is accused of being a Turkish spy. It is in that small village that he meets a beautiful Armenian girl (Angela Sarafyan), who helps him escape from misfortune.
CENTERPIECE PROGRAM – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 7:30 PM
AWAKENING WORLD (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Sebastian Siegel
Writer: Sebastian Siegel
Producer: Sebastian Siegel
Duration: 0:40:00
Language: English
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE/Centerpiece Program
What fuels an AWAKENING WORLD? That’s what filmmaker Sebastian Siegel sets out to uncover through interviews with renowned authors, and globally recognized artists and leaders. This 1st installment of the 7 year documentary project, LOVE SEX GOD, explores fundamental questions at the core of human fulfillment, such as “what is love?” and “what is the purpose of life?”. Influences on the filmmaker from growing up in Hawaii to immersion in the arts and Indian mythology drive the exploration. Scored discussions are woven into a dialogue culminating in the advocation of a specific methodology as an essential means necessary to perpetuate widespread human joy… . and in the payoff the film drives compassion, and inspires.
ZENNE DANCER (2011)
Country: Turkey
Director: Caner Alper
Writer: Caner Alper, Mehmet Binay
Producer: Caner Alper, Mehmet Binay
Duration: 1:33:00
Language: Turkish with English subtitles
LOS ANGELES PREMIERE/Centerpiece Program
Zenne is the contemporary story of three unlikely friends: Ahmet, a masculine gay man, Can, a male belly dancer (Zenne), and Daniel, a German photo-journalist, who are confronted by a systemic, institutionalized and culturally embedded homophobia that leads to tragedy.
CLOSING NIGHT GALA Saturday, December 1, 2012
IF ONLY EVERYONE (2012)
Country: Armenia
Director: Natalya Belyauskene
Writer: Theresa Varzhapetyan, Michael Poghosian
Producer: Theresa Varzhapetyan
Duration: 1:35:00
Language: Armenian, Russian with English subtitles
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE/Closing Night Film
Armenia’s Official Submission to the Foreign Language Category at the 85th Academy Awards®
This story perhaps touches on the most sensitive string for our nation today, Artsakh. Why did people die, what was the war about, what motivated the heroic deeds? Some have found the answers, others are still searching. But these questions eclipse real lives of real people, whom we often think about the least, unfortunately. Whereas they are living right next to us and maybe are asking the same questions…Our protagonist Gurgen is a common guy, an electronics wiz in a body shop, ostensibly enjoying everybody’s respect and, perhaps, awe. His gloomy appearance may be the reason, or is it his combat merit in the battle for Artsakh? A young Russian girl calls on him, the daughter of his fallen brother in arms…
FEATURE FILMS
AS A BEGINNING (2006)
Country: Armenia
Director: Art Sevada
Writer: Art Sevada
Producer: Art Sevada
Duration: 0:51:45
Language: Armenian with English subtitles
Just behind the slick surface textures of the new Yerevan, beyond its refashioned vistas, mind boutiques, and cooler than thou cafes and restaurants, there is the beating heart of a dreamscape. This is the city’s mythic backdrop, an ongoing essay contest where memory and prospect meet or don’t. Art was at home here. The juxtaposition was inescapable. There was, in the foreground, the stage of the here and now: an Armenian social struggle for stability, an East-meets-West brand of politics and governance, the frazzle-dazzle of an entrepreneurial spirit that was busy expanding the gulf between the haves and have-nots, plus the potential of eye-popping creativity…
AZAD (2009)
Country: France, Armenia
Director: Nicolas Tackian
Writer: Nicolas Tackian
Producer: David Kodsi
Duration: 1:10:00
Language: French with English subtitles
WEST COAST PREMIERE
The word ‘Azad’ means freedom in both Armenian and Kurdish—the core theme in this dramatic feature. An Armenian artist, Mayak is determined to tell his grandfather’s story of survival from the Armenian Genocide through the medium of a graphic novel. Mayak is forced to confront his beliefs and deeply-rooted anger when he meets Mina, a young Kurdish woman who moves into the house he shares with friends. Through their turbulent relationship, both individuals discover profound revelations about their worldviews. A gripping film about one’s identity and self-perseverance.
CONFINE (2012)
Country: United Kingdom
Director: Tobias Tobbell
Writer: Tobias Tobbell
Producer: Emily Corcoran
Duration: 1:30:45
Language: English, Spanish, and French with English subtitles
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
She hid from the world for years. All she wants now is to escape.
CROSSROAD (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Shervin Youssefian
Writer: Shervin Youssefian
Producer: Shervin Youssefian, Danny Simonzad, David Dginguerian, Amy Weber
Duration: 1:35:00
Language: English
Fueled by revenge, Michael sets up a meeting with Clef Robie, the man who murdered his wife and child six years ago. His plans of killing him come to a standstill when unexpected events turn everything he has known upside down. Follow Michael as he slowly discovers that everything in life happens for a reason.
DISAPPEARING BAKERSFIELD (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Sophiah Koikas
Writer: Sophiah Koikas
Producer: Sophiah Koikas
Duration: 2:30:00
Language: English
WORLD PREMIERE
Darris Blue decides to move back home to love and live with her dad but ends up in Disappearing Bakersfield. Disappearing is a vortex and once inside, she’s unable to get out. The call of a ghost and a mystery hostage in the attic of the only hotel in town, The Lonesome Road Hotel, Darris just might be able to help the ghost find her peace which opens Darris’ own heart of her own genocide to her own trapped emotions of her past.
UPSIDE DOWN (2012)
Country: India
Director: Ajay Singh
Writer: Ajay Singh
Producer: Junaid Memon
Duration:1:19:30
Language: Marathi with English subtitles
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Upside Down is the film which will make you forget Majid Majidi’s award winning “Children Of Heaven.”
WANDERING (2011)
Country: Armenia
Director: Arshaluys Harutyunyan
Writer: Aram Sukiasyan
Producer: Aram Sukiasyan
Duration: 1:21:00
Language: Armenian with English subtitles
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
‘Wandering’ depicts the curious tragedy of a historical injustice victim, a man living in Diaspora. Christianity, immortality of soul, human sins and trespasses, historical injustices, love and purification – these topics are the ideological basis of the film. ‘Wandering’ belongs to the farcical and tragicomic genre and is exceptional in its style. ‘Wandering’ has a structure typical of classical opera: an overture, duets, trios, arias and choral performances with clear development and ideology. ‘Wandering’ is the first such film made in the region’
DOCUMENTARIES
AMERICAN IMAM (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Donya Ravasani
Producer: Donya Ravasani
Duration: 0:19:50
Language: English
Imam Siraj Wahhaj is one of the most prominent and controversial Islamic clerics of the United States. He leads a Muslim community in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. His daughter Hujrah Wahhaj works along side him, reaching out to the Facebook generation in search of its soul. The Imam’s longtime companion Ali Abdul Karim has helped him lead the Islamic community where they settled in the 1980s when the neighborhood was Brooklyn’s roughest ghetto. This is a look behind the scenes of the African-American Muslim community in the United States today.
ARAGIL, THE WHITE STORK (2010)
Country: Armenia
Director: Shirak Khojayan
Writer: Shirak Khojayan
Producer: Shirak Khojayan
Duration: 0:28:26
Language: English
Aragil, The White Stork is a documentary about the life of the white stork and its relationship with the people of Armenia.
ARMENIAN ACTIVISTS NOW! BIRTH OF A MOVEMENT (2012)
Country: USA, Armenia
Director: Robert Davidian
Producer: Robert Davidian
Duration: 0:41:00
Language: English
This documentary shows the birth of activism and the social issues it aims to change in Armenia, as told by the activists themselves.
ARMENIAN ECHOES (2012)
Country: Canada, Armenia
Director: Hagop Goudsouzian
Producer: Hagop Goudsouzian
Duration: 1:48:18
Language: Armenian with English subtitles
Armenian Echoes, timeless rhythms. So much of a peoples’ identity stems from the songs they sing, the music they play and the spirit of their dance. Music is the very essence of the cultural identity of a people. In this film Hagop Goudsouzian continues his 7-month journey through Armenia in pursuit of his dream, the soul of Armenian Music.
ARMENIAN MINSTRELS (2011)
Country: Canada, Armenia
Director: Hagop Goudsouzian
Producer: Hagop Goudsouzian
Duration: 0:55:23
Language: Armenian with English Subtitles
Today’s Armenian Minstrels perform traditional yet contemporary Armenian love songs. With a 700 year history Armenian Minstrels still echo the soul of Armenian Culture. Featuring Professor Tovmas Poghosyan, the Sayat-Nova Minstrel Song Ensemble and impromptu interviews and performances with well known Armenian Minstrels: Minstrel Andranik Ujanci, Minstrel Astghanush, Minstrel Kochar, and Minstrel Makhmour.
ARMENIAN RHAPSODY (2012)
Country: Brazil
Director: Cassiana Der Haroutiounian, Cesar Gananian, Gary Gananian
Writer: Cassiana Der Haroutiounian, Cesar Gananian, Gary Gananian
Producer: Cassiana Der Haroutiounian, Cesar Gananian, Gary Gananian
Duration: 1:02:28
Language: English, Armenian, and Spanish with English subtitles
Armenian Rhapsody is a road movie, made of a polyphony of characters where the faces and the music are the real protagonists. As in a rhapsody, the film is made of a juxtaposition of musical and narrative fragments with variations in theme, intensity and tone.
BORN IN GOMA (2012)
Country: USA, Congo
Director: Chris Carpenter
Producer: Chris Carpenter
Duration: 0:47:45
Language: English and Swahili with English subtitles
Dr. Chris Carpenter travels to Goma, a war-ravaged city in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to work at the HEAL Africa hospital. Each day, he cares for the sickest and most desperate children in the region. During his journey, he meets three special patients, each trying to survive in the midst of extreme poverty and violence. Born in Goma follows Isaac, Gisele and Dieume as they work against remarkable odds to regain their health and build brighter futures.
DONKEYMENTARY (2012)
Country: Kenya, Armenia
Director: Arman Yeritsyan, Vardan Hovhannisyan
Producer: Vardan Hovhannisyan
Duration: 0:52:00
Language: English and Swahili with English subtitles
This is a Donkeymentary – a documentary about a small island, just off the coast of Kenya, with 24,000 people, 6,000 donkeys, just 2 cars and a 14-year-old donkey race champion, Shee Famao, whose fondest dream in life is nothing more than having a donkey of his own.
FATHER’S LAND (2012)
Country: Armenia
Director: Anzhela Frangyan & Marianna Abrahamyan
Writer: Anzhela Frangyan & David Sargsyan
Producer: Tiran Hayrapetyan
Duration: 0:18:00
Language: Armenian with English subtitles
Father’s Land tells the story of the grand 9th century Monastery of Tatev.
GENOCIDE MEMOIR (2012)
Country: Australia
Director: Shahane Bekarian
Producer: Shahane Bekarian
Duration: 0:13:58
Language: Armenian with English subtitles
Boghos Tavrayan was about 4 years old, he didn’t know who his parents were, he didn’t know the year of his birth, he didn’t know why they were abhorred, the only thing he knew was his first name. This Genocide Memoir is a short documentary about a survivor of the Armenian Genocide during WWI. Using an interview filmed in 1986 this film is a contemporary view which attempts to convey the ongoing suffering and struggle for justice within Armenians today.
HAMSHEN AT CROSSROADS OF PAST AND PRESENT (2012)
Country: Armenia, Turkey
Director: Lusine Sahakyan
Producer: Lusine Sahakyan
Duration: 1:00:00
Language: Armenian, Hamshen, and Turkish with English subtitles
Lusineh Sahakyan’s documentary Hamshen at Crossroads of Past and Present is dedicated to the current state of the descendants of the Armenians of Hamshen (Hamshentsis); a people who were forcibly Islamicized (”Turkified”) by the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century. Today, they live primarily in the provinces of Rizeh and Artvin, as well as in Istanbul and other cities of Turkey. The film presents unique episodes from the history and culture of the once powerful Armenian Principality of Hamshen, and the practice of Islamization, a form of ethnic cleansing. Based on material shot on location, the present-day culture of the Hamshentsis is chronicled: their songs and dances, customs, linguistic situation, as well as their everyday life and occupations, conceptions of their own identity, and the demographic picture.
HUMBLE THE POET (2011)
Country: USA, Canada
Director: Brendan Nahmias
Producer: Brendan Nahmias
Duration: 0:12:28
Language: English
With tattoos and a turban, Humble the Poet is a Sikh hip-hop artist from Toronto, Canada whose message is expressed with a twist. He harnesses the power of the spoken word with music, re-defining the immigrant experience in a bold fashion. Take a ride inside the mind of Humble as he navigates the line between two cultures, aiming to define himself as a hip-hop artist, while reconciling his identity as a modern Sikh.
MEMORIES WITHOUT BORDERS (2012)
Country: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey
Director: Mehmet Binay, Levon Kalantar, Ayaz Salayev
Producer: M. Caner Alper, Harutyun Mansuryan, Nailia Babayeva
Duration: 0:54:22
Language: Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Turkish with English subtitles
In 2010, a UK-based peacebuilding organization, Conciliation Resources, brought a team of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Turkish directors together to make a film exploring parallels and differences in how Turks, Armenians and Azerbaijanis remember the past and see their future. The result is a subtly provocative meditation on collective memory, personal discovery and borders in the mind, across a region as divided by historical narratives as it is by closed borders and frontlines.
MY MOTHER’S VOICE (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Mark Friedman
Writer: Kay Mouradian
Producer: Mark Friedman, Kay Mouradian
Duration: 0:25:04
Language: English
My Mother’s Voice is the compelling story of fourteen-year-old Flora Munushian, her survival from the 1915 Armenian Genocide and how she finds her way to America to marry a man she knows only from a paragraph. Her voice is the voice of all the victims of the 1915 genocide, a story that must not be forgotten.
RETURN TO ASBURY (2012)
Country: USA
Director: David Norian
Writer: David Norian
Producer: Dot Gain Films
Duration: 0:10:00
Language: English
Return to Asbury tells the story of how Armenian-Americans once gathered every summer in the New Jersey beach town of Asbury Park, and what happens when they return to that same place 40 years later.
SO FAR FROM HOME (2009)
Country: Canada
Director: Lorne Shirinian
Writer: Lorne Shirinian
Producer: Lorne Shirinian
Duration: 0:5:43
Language: English
A narrative documentary of the journey from Turkey to Canada of a 5-year old orphan survivor of the Armenian Genocide.
THE SUFFERING GRASSES: WHEN ELEPHANTS FIGHT, IT IS THE GRASS THAT
SUFFERS (2012)
Country: USA, Syria, Arab Republic, Turkey
Director: Iara Lee
Producer: Iara Lee
Duration: 0:51:45
Language: English and Arabic with English subtitles
With thousands dead and counting, the ongoing conflict in Syria has become a microcosm for the complicated politics of the region, and an unsavory reflection of the world at large. Against the backdrop of the Arab Spring and the complicated politics of the region, this film explores the Syrian conflict through the humanity of the civilians who have been killed, abused, and displaced. In all such conflicts, it is civilians, women and children, families and whole communities, who suffer at the leisure of those in power. When elephants go to war, it is the grass that suffers.
TONI AND ROSI (2012)
Country: USA, UK, Austria
Director: Todd Murray, Will Wyatt
Producer: Todd Murray, Will Wyatt
Duration: 0:58:00
Language: English
Toni and Rosi Grunschlag were Viennese piano prodigies destined for triumph on the concert stages of Europe until the Nazi occupation of Austria shattered their world and irrevocably changed their destiny. Left to fend for themselves in a hostile Austria, they were forced to flee their native land and begin new lives far away from all that they loved. ‘Toni and Rosi’ turned to what they could trust: their music and each other.
TUMOR, IT’S IN THE SYSTEM (2012)
Country: USA, Australia, Canada
Director: Cindy Pruitt, Valerie McCaffrey
Producer: Valerie McCaffrey, Cindy Pruitt
Duration: 1:07:00
Language: English
This documentary reveals how alternative cures for cancer have been suppressed since the 1930’s and how the bureaucratic regulatory system has maintained chemotherapy and radiation as the only choice of treatment for over 100 years. Citing testimonials to the horrors of chemo and radiation adjacent to those who have secretly cured their cancer with alternative means, this film is a call to action for the freedom to publicize alternative cures, and a call to people to demand the freedom to make better choices.
VIOLINS IN WARTIME (2011)
Country: Israel
Director: Yael Katzir
Writer: Yael Katzir
Producer: Yael Katzir, Dan Katzir
Duration: 0:46:04
Language: English and Hebrew with English subtitles
Israel 2006. An intimate chronicle of the violinmaker Amnon Weinstein whose son is at the front during the Second Lebanon War. Amnon takes part in master classes for young violinists taught by famed musicians Ida Haendel and Shlomo Mintz. A moving story about the power of music and the violins in wartime.
VOYAGE TO AMASIA (2011)
Country: USA, Armenia, Turkey
Director: Randy Bell
Producer: Randy Bell, Eric Hachikian
Duration: 1:24:15
Language: English, Armenian, and Turkish with English subtitles
Voyage To Amasia’ is a feature documentary inspired by Eric Hachikian’s piano trio of the same name. Amasya, Turkey is the city from which Eric’s grandmother fled during the Armenian Genocide. The filmmakers made a real voyage to Amasia, tracing a path through the past, telling Eric’s family’s story and the story of the current people of Turkey and Armenia.
WOMEN AT WAR: FORGOTTEN VETERANS OF DESERT STORM (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Christie Davis
Writer: Christie Davis
Producer: Christie Davis, Dennis Davis
Duration: 1:16:16
Language: English
The feature documentary ‘Women At War: Forgotten Veterans of Desert Storm’ takes an intimate look at women soldiers’ wartime experiences on the toxic battlefields of 1991’s Operation Desert Storm and their heartbreaking battles with Gulf War Illnesses since they’re returned home. Carol Williams and three other female veterans fight the government for proper treatment and benefits in their search for answers to their mysterious Gulf War illnesses. They wonder why they’ve been abandoned by the government they risked their lives to serve. Twenty years later, their war isn’t over.
SHORT FILMS
140 DRAMS (2012)
Country: Armenia
Director: Oksana Mirzoyan
Writer: Oksana Mirzoyan
Producer: Emily Mkrtichian, Anahid Yahjian
Duration: 0:18:00
Language: Armenian with English subtitles
140 Drams tells the story of a young boy who must go to the store by himself for the first time. Things get complicated when the 140 Drams his mother gave him for milk are not enough, and he has to make a difficult choice. The experience of this young boy becomes a kaleidoscope through which the landscape of a modern Armenia emerges. Through bits and pieces, fragments of conversation and glimpses of the insides of a single bedroom apartment, this film tries to put together a picture of this country, right now.
4 MINUTES (2011)
Country: USA
Director: Stephen Sepher
Writer: Stephen Sepher
Producer: Stephen Sepher
Duration: 0:15:30
Language: English
Four ex special ops are en route to transport a well-known heart surgeon when they find themselves targeted by an unknown enemy in the mountainous terrains of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
AFTER WATER THERE IS SAND (2012)
Country: USA, Armenia
Director: Saro Varjabedian
Writer: Saro Varjabedian
Producer: Mira El Koussa
Duration: 0:17:45
Language: English and Armenian with English subtitles
Tamar, an 80-year-old widow, visits her Armenian homeland to fulfill her recently-deceased husband’s last wish: to take a family photo in front of Mount Ararat. However, her daughters, Armine and Lori, are less than interested in going to mount Ararat, and hope that the trip will allow Tamar to let go of her grief and find joy in her life. The three women are accompanied by Hripsime, a loud-mouthed, sprightly taxi driver as their guide. With the Armenian countryside as their backdrop, the women struggle to find new meaning in their lives and broaden their relationships. Once they arrive at Ararat, they are surprised to learn that the picture Tamar wants to take won’t come as easily to them as they had hoped…
299: BARBARIANS INSIDE THE GATES (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Frederikos
Writer: Nick Mann
Producer: Nick Mann
Duration: 0:15:00
Language: English
In a world, where ancient mythology collides with present day discord, a rogue warrior who would be king, finds himself in the throes of an existential crisis. But it is not until he summons the spirit of 299 Spartans to help charge a hapless band of Greeks into a battle of economic proportions to reclaim the country’s sovereignty, does our anti-hero realize he is but a mere pawn in a larger, divine plan. Cast includes Arkidies Vasileas, Phillip Berg, Vasilia Niles, and introducing Pheenix. Art by Jamese
THE EPIPHANY (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Ella Hatamian
Writer: Ella Hatamian
Duration: 0:17:42
Language: English and Armenian with English subtitles
It’s January 5th, Armenian Christmas Eve, and the Hatamian family only has 15-minutes to complete their preparations for the annual holiday feast. Chaos ensues.
HIGH CARD TRUMPS (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Geoffrey Quan
Writer: Stacey Parshall Jensen
Producer: Frances Chang
Duration: 0:05:56
Language: English
Lois, a headstrong woman and soon-to-be champion grandmother, is anxious to share her good news with the volunteers of her monthly Support-Our-Troops bake sale. But when an Arab mother joins them, Lois’s pride and her definition of patriotism are challenged.
HOLLYWOOD & HAMMER (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Ryan Green
Writer: Ryan Green, Nathaniel Eyde (story)
Producer: Nathaniel Eyde
Duration: 0:11:55
Language: English
A man dressed as THOR wanders Hollywood Blvd, looking for tips. He becomes the subject of scorn and ridicule when he claims to be the actual Norse God of Thunder. The problem is, it might just be true.
HYEPOWER (2011)
Country: USA
Director: James Jay Ellis
Duration: 0:08:15
Language: English and German with English subtitles
Based on the original music video HiiiPower by Kendrick Lamar, Nazo Bravo leads the audience through personal perspectives of his own cultural heritage – and that of millions of first and second generation Armenians now living in America – with his vibrantly personal debut music video HyePower.’Hye’ is Armenian for its own rich identity. And the word ‘Power’ is a hopeful reference to the dreams of many of Nazo’s own friends and others throughout the world for a better life ahead. Rooted in the tragedy of what is commonly called The Armenian Genocide and the recent murder of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in Istanbul, Turkey, the video also traces resonant social luminaries such as John Lennon and Muhammad Ali.
JOLLY B. FIERCE (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Allison Arachea
Writer: Allison Arachea
Producer: Angelica Robinson
Duration: 0:22:00
Language: English and Tagalog with English subtitles
Filipino drag queen, Jolly B. Fierce, leaves the glitter, lights and wigs to travel to America; where he will be faced with the decision to reconcile with his estranged family, for the sake of his dying mother.
JUST LIKE HER (2011)
Country: USA
Director: Eddie Melikyan
Writer: Eddie Melikyan
Producer: Avi Quijada
Duration: 0:18:18
Language: English
Just Like Her embarks us on the emotional journey of Ashley Marston as she prepares a Thanksgiving dinner for her family. Unable to suppress the urge to speak about the taboo, it quickly becomes violent when she blames her father for her mother’s suicide.
LATER THAN USUAL (2012)
Country: Canada
Director: David Hovan
Writer: David Hovan
Producer: David Hovan
Duration 0:06:15
A day in the life of an elderly couple. The non verbal interactions between the two make for sometimes funny and at other times poignant moments throughout the film. This couple has lived so long together that they have nothing left to say to each other. Living in an isolated state in their old house, they go about their daily routines, until…
MACHINEHEAD (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Micah Gallagher
Writer: Micah Gallagher
Producer: Micah Gallagher
Duration: 0:12:00
Machinehead is a stop-motion short film that follows a puppet as he travels through four unique rooms representing different stages of intellectual and spiritual development. It’s an abstract representation of someone trying to find meaning and purpose. The short features puppet animation and pays homage to revolutionary stop-motion artists such as Jan Svankmajer and the Quay Brothers in style and content.
MAKE IT A GREAT DAY (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Joshua Jones
Writer: Daniel Klein
Producer: Joshua Jones, Daniel Klein
Duration: 0:06:40
Language: English
Mother Nature’s peculiar sense of irony creates a convoluted path of survival for a newborn chick with unfortunate timing.
METZARENTS (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Hayk Hambartsum
Writer: Hayk Hambartsum
Producer: Shahe Barsoumian
Duration: 0:35:00
Language: English and Armenian with English subtitles
Metzarents is the story of Vahag, a struggling actor in Los Angeles who reconnects with his long dormant Armenian roots when he is offered to play the role of the poet Misak Metzarents in a play.
MIDNIGHT FISTFIGHT (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Robert Nazar Arjoyan
Writer: Robert Nazar Arjoyan, David Lafian
Producer: Robert Nazar Arjoyan
Duration: 0:23:34
Language: English and Armenian with English subtitles
Rage-filled Gev, a first generation American, must learn to get along with his sister’s straightlaced boyfriend Alec, whom he accompanies to a ‘zhamo,’ a ritualistic and centuries-old Armenian tradition, where men meet to settle grievances of honor but rarely leave unscathed.
MOSSADEGH (2011)
Country: USA
Director: Roozbeh Dadvand
Writer: Roozbeh Dadvand, Nathaniel C. Leonard
Producer: Amber Beard, Marina Davis, Grace K. Lee
Duration: 0:23:33
Language: English and Farsi with English subtitles
Iran. 1959. It is six years after the CIA orchestrated coup that overthrew democratic Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh from power. Now living under house arrest and suffering from a life-threatening condition, Mossadegh must decide whether or not to trust a brilliant American physician that is sent to treat him.
MOVING STORIES (2012)
Country: France, USA
Director: Nora Armani
Writer: Nora Armani
Producer: Nora Armani
Duration: 0:18:16
Language: English
The story of two women linked by an apartment from which one is moving out the other in. For the first one this is a definitive move and the closing of a chapter, while for the second it is just a stage, and the start of a new life.
PARALLAX (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Paul DeNigris
Writer: Paul DeNigris
Producer: Paul DeNigris, Steve Briscoe, Laura DeNigris
Duration: 0:22:00
Language: English and Arabic with English subtitles
Daniels, a U.S. Army infantryman with a hatred for all Arabs, is injured in a convoy ambush and rescued by Iraqi civilian Hassan and his son Jabir. As the three of them hide from the insurgents, Daniels learns that his prejudices and his hatred have been misplaced and comes to respect Hassan and Jabir as human beings. Making a sacrifice himself in order to save his new friends from the insurgents, Daniels emerges from the experience with a renewed perspective.
PAYING FOR IT (2011)
Country: USA
Director: Lauren Lillie
Writer: Lauren Lillie
Producer: Narineh Hacopian
Duration: 0:21:43
Language: English
While on a weekend getaway with her boyfriend, 18-year-old Deidre discovers a call girl passed out in their hotel hallway. She decides to help her. During their ensuing hours together, Deidre opens up to this woman in a way that she isn’t capable of confiding in anyone else. What is it that these two women learn they have in common?
PRIVATE SUN (2011)
Country: Palestinian Territories
Director: Rami Alayan
Writer: Rami Alayan
Producer: Rami Alayan, Muayad Alayan
Duration: 0:25:00
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Mariam is instructed by her doctor to sunbathe in order to reverse the vitamin D deficiency that is causing her a bone illness. But with nosy neighbors, an overbearing sister-in-law and Israeli surveillance planes, private moments under the sun are precious and rare.
QUITTER (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Garen Mirzaian
Writer: Garen Mirzaian
Producer: Tomohisa Imagawa
Duration: 0:16:26
Language: English
A young man is inspired to make a healthy change in his life only to realize the source of his inspiration is slowly turning into his nemesis.
SECRET OF LIGHT (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Vahram Hakobyan
Writer: Vahram Hakobyan
Producer: Vahram Hakobyan, Autumn Fawn
Duration: 0:13:13
Language: English
Princess of Light returns to her father’s kingdom to face Dark Devil and restore light in Valley of Hope.
THREE COLORS IN BLACK AND WHITE (2008)
Country: Armenia
Director: Art Sevada
Writer: Harutyun Kbeyan
Producer: Armen Hambardzumyan
Duration: 0:14:03
Language: Russian and Armenian with English subtitles
A mentally ill young man sees everything that is happening in Yerevan with a bit of an exaggerated eye.
TOUJOURS (2011)
Country: USA
Director: Sona Tatoyan
Writer: Sona Tatoyan
Producer: Ted Feldman, Andrei Bowden-Schwartz, Sona Tatoyan
Duration: 0:8:28
Language: English and French with English subtitles
A woman reignites an old unconsummated love affair with fatal consequences.
VAI, KIKOS, VAI… (2009)
Country: Armenia
Director: Aviva Barkhoudarian
Writer: Aviva Barkhoudarian
Producer: Aviva Barkhoudarian
Duration: 0:07:00
Language: Armenian with English subtitles
The story of Kikos’ death, inspired by the classic Hovhannes Tumanyan story.
VENA AMORIS (2012)
Country: USA
Director: Armando Hermosilla
Writer: Armando Hermosilla
Producer: Sergio Arroyo, Akbar Farooq
Duration: 0:15:38
Language: English
Vena Amoris is about celebrating life with hope in our hearts and an eye toward the future. This film depicts how easy it is to live a happy life when we’re surrounded by friends and family who love us and how easy it is to stray when left alone. James (Christopher Newell) is a successful and attractive businessman who will be married tomorrow, but before he is married he has to goose step his way past a beautiful temptress and endure painful torture at the hands of his fiancé’s father (Allan Charof). Will James’ love be strong enough to get him through the gauntlet to his wedding day, or will he be swayed by the promise of pleasure and impending pain that threaten to crush his dream of being a good and faithful husband?
VENUS VS. MARS (2011)
Country: USA
Director: Talin Malekian
Writer: Talin Malekian
Producer: Talin Malekian, Nansia Movidi, Jeffrey DeChausse
Duration: 0:15:22
Language: English
In a world bound by deception, how will a young impressionable artist overcome society’s lure of grandeur in order to unite with her inner voice and become highly valued?
VUCCIRIA (2011)
Country: Italy
Director: Michele Di Salle
Writer: Michele Di Salle
Producer: Massimo Sigillo Massara
Duration: 0:07:20
Language: Italian with English subtitles
Under a cloudy sky a young lady walks around the streets of the town. Outside a shop she sees herself in a mirror. Her reflection is much colorful. Curiosity draws Elisa closer to the mirror and with one touch she is in a new world. The lady is now in a new world, a market full of strange characters…
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Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt and Other Winners of 2012 Leeds International Film Festival
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Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt [/caption]The 26th Leeds International Film Festival ended on Sunday November 18th, after 18 days packed with 270 screenings and events, and an audience of 35,000. The Hunt was voted by Leeds 2012 audiences as overall favorite from 140 feature films, and a record 14,196 completed votes were cast.
The film is described by the festival as Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg’s best film since Festen, The Hunt is a gripping, provocative and devastating drama about a respected member of a close-knit Danish community whose life is destroyed when a young girl accuses him, falsely, of abuse. Winner of Best Actor in Cannes, Mads Mikkelsen plays Lucas, a 40-year-old, good-natured primary school teacher who is recently divorced and trying to rebuild his relationship with his son. Once the accusation is made, Lucas is deemed guilty by the community-turned-mob, ostracized, and hunted by his former friends and neighbors.
Other winners include:
THE LEEDS 2012 MÉLIÈS D’ARGENT WINNERS
Leeds International Film Festival is the UK representative of the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation and as such holds its Méliès d’Argent competition in the UK for fantasy film. The Méliès d’Argent Jury consisted of Dr Patricia MacCormack, Dominic Brunt and Dave Bryan and announced the following winners:
Best European Fantasy Feature Film
Winner: Eddie the Sleepwalking Cannibal (Dir. Boris Rodriguez, Denmark/Canada, 2011)
Special Mentions: Sightseers (Dir. Ben Wheatley, UK, 2012) + Thale (Dir. Aleksander L Nordaas, Norway, 2012)
Best European Fantasy Short Film
Winner: The Fright (El Espanto) (Dir. J.J. Marcos, Spain, 2012)
Special Mentions: Blinky (Dir. Ruairi Robinson, Ireland / USA, 2011) + Photo (Dir. J Enrique Sanchez, Spain, 2011)
The Méliès d’Argent Jury said:
“Eddie the Sleepwalking Cannibal pipped the others to the post by virtue of its sheer charm and, in the grand traditions of ‘anti-hero’, introduces a character with whom you are happy to invest your emotion and time into. The movie perfectly balances that very difficult task of mixing horror and dark comedy and as such will have appeal to a wide variety of genre fans. Expertly crafted by first time feature director Boris Rodriguez, the movie is well paced with great characterization and a climax which will give even the most hardened horror fan that sense of sentimental satisfaction that is so often missed.”
Both Eddie the Sleepwalking Cannibal and The Fright will now go forward to compete for the coveted Méliès d’Or at Sitges International Festival of Fantastic Film in Spain in 2013.
THE LEEDS 2012 SHORT FILM CITY WINNERS
The International Short Film Jury, judging the Louis le Prince International Short Film Competition and World Animation Award, consisted of Jacqueline Chell (UK), Wannes Destoop (Belgium), Marlena Lukasiak (Poland), Mike McKenny (UK), and Erik Rosenlund (Sweden).
Louis le Prince International Short Film Competition 2012
Winner: Mon Amoureux (My Sweetheart) (Dir. Daniel Metge, France)
Special Mentions: The Return (Kthimi) (Dir. Blerta Zeqiri, Kosovo) + Frozen Stories (Dir. Grzegorz Jaroszuk, Poland)
The International Short Film Jury said of the Winner:
“The jury was blown away by the emotional force of this subtle but impactful film. With skilled and beautifully observed performances that enhance a stunning, perfectly paced script, Mon Amoureuxstood out as a deeply personal story – but one of social value that is too rarely told and shared with audiences.”
World Animation Award 2012Winner: The Pub (Dir. Joseph Pierce, UK)
Special Mention: Body Memory (Dir. Ülo Pikkov, Estonia)
The International Short Film Jury said of the Winner:
“The jury was unanimous in its praise of this film. The Pub manages to seamlessly combine form and narrative, making excellent use of very distinctive rotascope animation – accentuating and exacerbating the character traits of the many familiar faces of ‘the pub’. Capturing a sincere and earnest slice of life, the film manages to be grotesque and beautiful, repulsive yet captivating – all the while being completely recognisable and grounded in reality.”
The National Short Film Jury, judging the British Short Film Competition and Yorkshire Short Film Competition, consisted of David Lilley, Kathryn Penny and Alex Ramseyer-Bache.
British Short Film Competition 2012
Winner: Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared by Joseph Pelling and Becky Sloan)
Special Mentions: Worm (by Bert & Bertie) + Dylan’s Room (by Layke Anderson)The National Short Film Jury said of the Winner:
“The judges felt this was truly different film and an assault on the senses. As soon as the audience has made a judgement on the film the rug is pulled out from under their feet! A brilliant combination of darkness and levity. Wonderfully acted, puppeteered and animated. The judges couldn’t wait to see the film again and look forward to seeing more from these directors.”
Yorkshire Short Film Competition 2012
Winner: The Farmer’s Wife (by Francis Lee)
Special Mention: Kiss (by Cathy Brady)The Natonal Short Film Jury said of the Winner:
“This was a clear winner for the judges. A fantastic central performance and a poignant journey for the central character. Wonderful contrasts of rugged and delicate. A stylish and dignified film which tackled a sad story against a bleak backdrop without being at all depressing.”The 27th Leeds International Film Festival will run from 8th to 22nd November 2013.
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Gulf Film Festival Announces 2013 Dates
The Gulf Film Festival (GFF), described by the festival as “the home of bold, experimental, and the best of Arab cinema from the Gulf countries and the rest of the world” have announced that the sixth edition will be held from April 11 to 17, 2013 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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Ben Affleck’s Argo to Open 2012 Leeds International Film Festival on Thursday
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Argo[/caption]Ben Affleck’s new thriller Argo has been announced as the Opening Gala film of this year’s Leeds International Film Festival. Argo, based on the remarkable true story of a CIA expert posing as a fake film producer in order to infiltrate Iran at the time of the hostage crisis in 1979 and rescue a group of stranded Americans, will open the annual festival at Leeds Town Hall on Thursday November 1, 2012.
The Official Selection will close with Michael Haneke’s second Palme d’Or winnerAmour, a drama about the bond of love between an elderly couple in their eighties, starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva.
Other new feature film highlights in the Official Selection include Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt, Carlos Reygadas’ Post Tenebras Lux, Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths, Tribeca award winners Lucy Mulloy’sUna Noche and Kim Nguyen’s War Witch, and Dominga Sotomayor’s Rotterdam Tiger Award winner From Thursday Till Sunday.
The Retrospectives section will include an appearance by leading Russian filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky, who will attend the festival as part of a focus on his early work. Best known for cult favorite Runaway Train, the focus will screen five of his early Soviet works from his directorial debut The First Teacher in 1965 to Asya’s Happiness, A Nest of Gentlefolk, Uncle Vanya, and his Cannes prize-winner Siberiade. The work of legendary Japanese actress and filmmaker Kinuyo Tanaka (1909-77) will also be honored at the festival with a selection of her finest performances in films by Yasujirô Ozu, Mikio Naruse, and Kenji Mizoguchi, and two rarely shown features she directed herself, The Eternal Breasts (1955) and Girls of Dark(1961).
Fanomenon section, considered the home of cult films at Leeds International Film Festival,will include Ben Wheatley’s long-awaited Sightseers, a pitch-black story of a camping holiday killing spree across Yorkshire and the Lakes, together with some of the most anticipated genre films of the year: Antiviral (Dir. Brandon Cronenburg), Citadel (Dir. Ciaran Foy), John Dies at the End (Dir. Don Coscarelli),The Legend of Kaspar Hauser (Dir. Davide Manuli), and V/H/S (Dirs. Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg). Fanomenon 2012 also features a special focus on the growth of genre filmmaking in Yorkshire with screenings of Before Dawn (Dir. Dominic Brunt), When the Lights Went Out (Dir. Pat Holden), and the world premiere of new feature Heretic (Dir. Peter Handford).
Cinema Versa section is the home of documentaries inspired by the underground festival aesthetic with two major themes of human rights and music films. Highlights among the human rights films selection for 2012 include: Anand Patwardhan’s acclaimed epic Jai Bhim Comrade, one of the best documentaries of the year, about the culture of India’s Dalits, dehumanized in the traditional caste system as ‘untouchables’; the extraordinary 1/2 Revolution, featuring unmissable first person camcorder reportage from the streets of Cairo, smuggled out of the country in a pram after the filmmakers were arrested by the secret police; and the UK Premiere of Back to the Square, tracking the changes in the lives of five ordinary Egyptians after the overthrow of Mubarak. Music films in Cinema Versa 2012 range across every style and genre including: the UK Premiere of Charles Bradley: Soul of Americaabout the world-weary Brooklyn soul man, who made it big in his ‘60s after paying his dues over the decades as a James Brown impersonator; the wonderfully entertaining tale of the first tour of China by a UK punk band, dogged veterans Sham 69 in This Band is so Gorgeous; and Jobriath AD, profiling the fascinating career of the first openly gay pop star.
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Jason Wolos’ debut feature Trattoria Kicks Off Lineup for 2012 San Francisco Cinema by the Bay Festival
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A scene from Jason Wolos’ TRATTORIA, the Opening Night film at Cinema by the Bay, November 9-11 at New People Cinema [/caption]The San Francisco Film Society announced the program lineup for the fourth annual Cinema by the Bay festival, November 9 – 11 at New People Cinema. The three-day festival will feature new work produced in or about the San Francisco Bay Area and will open with Jason Wolos’ debut feature Trattoria. Set in the world of San Francisco’s competitive restaurant culture, a popular chef and his son must reconnect and heal their past through cooking if they want to save their relationship and change the direction of their lives.
The program lineup:
Friday, November 9 OPENING NIGHT
7:00 pm Trattoria
Jason Wolos Director Expected
Set in the world of San Francisco’s competitive restaurant culture, Trattoria serves up familial drama and foodie delights. Chef Sal Sartini and his second wife Cecilia have just opened a new restaurant and are trying to generate the reviews and buzz that are critical to success. When Sal’s estranged son Vince comes to visit and help out in the restaurant, underlying tensions are brought to the surface. It becomes clear that Chef Sartini has lost his way by focusing so intensely on his success, and with the help of his son he must rekindle his passion for food and for life. (USA 2011. 82 min. Written by Jason Wolos, Dawn Rich. Photographed by Frazer Bradshaw. With Tony Denison, John Patrick Amedori, Lisa Rotondi, Kandis Erickson. Fine Dining Productions.)
Saturday, November 10
2:30 pm Casablanca mon amour
John Slattery Director Expected
This fiction/nonfiction hybrid presents two bright and humorous Moroccan college students, Hassan and Abdel, as they journey from Casablanca over the Atlas mountains to the Sahara desert. Hassan, in the midst of creating a media project, uses the trip to investigate how Morocco has been depicted in popular culture and used in Hollywood staples such as Casablanca (of course) and The Jewel of the Nile, among others. The conceit ingeniously allows us to see how the country has been figured in film, while also showing us the country itself and how Moroccans view their own nation through the lens of Hollywood. (USA/Morocco 2012. 79 min. In French, Arabic and English with English subtitles. Written by John Slattery. Photographed by Fara Akrami. With Abdel Alidrissi, Hassan Ouazzani, Amin Chadati, Fraida Bouazzaoui. Zween Works.)5:00 pm Essential SF
Essential SF is an ongoing compendium of the Bay Area film community’s most vital figures and institutions. H.P. Mendoza, Judy Stone, Wholphin, Terry Zwigoff and others yet to be announced will be feted at this short ceremony. An outgrowth of SF360.org’s Essential SF column and a key event in the Film Society’s Cinema by the Bay festival, this event shines a light on the region’s legendary idiosyncratic and multifaceted contributions to the filmmaking world. Past Essential SF honorees include Les Blank, Canyon Cinema, Joshua Grannell (aka Peaches Christ), Rick Prelinger and Marlon Riggs, among others. Free admission.7:00 pm Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet
Jesse Vile Subject Expected
In 1980, guitarist Jason Becker appeared to be destined for international stardom when he signed with David Lee Roth’s band at the age of 20. That same year, he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and was given 3-5 years to live. Now, more than 20 years since his diagnosis, Jason’s story is far from over. Through home movies, photographs and concert footage, this documentary presents an affectionate portrait of a gifted teenager who realized his wildest dreams at an early age and is still creating and thriving due to the care and love of his devoted family and fans. (USA 2012. 90 min. Photographed by Carl Burke. Edited by Gideon Gold.)9:30 pm Amity World Premiere
Alejandro Adams Director Expected
A divorced Air Force sergeant rents a limousine to celebrate his daughter’s high school graduation, but when only a few hours before the ceremony his daughter rejects his overtures to celebrate with him, he decides to spend the evening with the limo driver. As they drink and loosen up, their camaraderie gives way to an awkward but somehow therapeutic violence, and their misadventures throughout the evening ratchet up the tension to expose an underbelly of pain. Reminiscent of the early work of Neil Labute, Amityunflinchingly presents a version of masculinity that is deeply insecure, sadistic and ultimately powerless. (USA 2012. 80 min. Written by Alejandro Adams. Photographed by Alejandro Adams. With Greg Cala.)
Sunday, November 11
2:00 pm Moving Image at the End of the World: Shorts from Headlands Center for the Arts
Presented in person by Brian Karl, Program Director, Headlands Center for the Arts
2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Headlands Center for the Arts, one of the most vital creative organizations in the Bay Area and the country. Headlands’ mission is to support artistic culture by providing the environment and means for artists to produce innovative work and to connect such practitioners to audiences of all sorts, and their residencies are among the most sought-after around the world. Ranging from the wonderfully humorous to the devastatingly beautiful, this not-to-be-missed program of short films consists of works that have been made at Headlands throughout the years.4:15 pm A Conversation with Lucy Gray
Scintillating San Francisco-based artist Lucy Gray will be on hand for an intimate talk about her work and the creative impulse. While Gray is recognized for her compelling photographs — including the “Big Tilda” exhibition at the 2006 San Francisco International Film Festival — her artistry is not merely limited to photography. This unique event will feature a screening of her magical debut short film Genevieve Goes Boating, followed by two scene readings from her latest creative venture A Stage of Her Own, a play based on the life and work of theater producer Irene Selznick. Writer Steven Winn will moderate the discussion.6:00 pm The Revolutionary Optimists Work-in-progress screening
Maren Grainger-Monsen, Nicole Newnham Directors Expected
Lawyer turned social advocate Amlan Ganguly doesn’t rescue children; he empowers them through education and activism to battle poverty and transform their lives and communities. The Revolutionary Optimists follows Amlan and the children he works with — Shika, Salim, Kajal and Priyanka — as they staunchly fight against the forces that oppress them. Shot over the course of three years, this film vividly captures the vibrancy of India while taking us on an intimate journey with these children, during which we witness not only the changes they are able to make in their neighborhoods, but also the changes within each of them. (USA 2012. 83 min. Photographed by Jon Shenk, Ranu Ghosh, Ranjan Palit. Edited by Andrew Gersh, Mary Lampson. Helianthus Media.)8:30 pm CXL World Premiere
Sean Gillane Director Expected
Nolan, an aspiring writer, feels stuck: he is frustrated with his career, his relationships, the world and ultimately with himself. Unable to keep from displaying his considerable disdain, he focuses on everything wrong in his life as he treads the same dissatisfying paths. When he meets the stunning and unpredictable Cassie, she invites him to let down his guard and enjoy the world around him. Nolan slowly gives in to Cassie’s exuberance, but just as he begins to change his perspective, circumstances conspire to throw his already fragile psyche into turmoil in this poignant and darkly comedic debut feature. (USA 2011. 90 min. Written by Theo Miller. Photographed by Sean Gillane. With Cole Smith, Lisa Greyson. Briana Eason, Amir Motlagh. Playlist.)
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2013 Wisconsin Film Festival Dates and Call For Wisconsin’s Own Films
The 2013 Wisconsin Film Festival will take place April 11 to 18, 2013, and is now accepting film submissions for inclusion in the Festival’s Wisconsin’s Own section. The Festival welcomes narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated films or videos of any length that have been made in Wisconsin or have been made by key personnel with Wisconsin roots.
For the 2013 Festival, submissions are only open to Wisconsin’s Own films, including student films. The 2013 Festival program will also include a wide variety of U.S. and international cinema curated specifically for the event.
Deadlines:
Wisconsin’s Own (films of any length from filmmakers with Wisconsin ties) deadline is Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wisconsin’s Own Student (films of any length from student filmmakers with Wisconsin ties) deadline is Monday, December 31, 2012
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And the winners of the 2012 LA Shorts Fest are
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Death of a Shadow [/caption]Death of a Shadow directed by Tom Van Avermaet of Belgium was awarded the top prize, Best of the Fest at the 2012 LA Shorts Fest. The film tells the offbeat story of a deceased World War I soldier stuck in a limbo between life and death and has to collect shadows to regain a second chance at life and love. Because the festival is officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the winning films are eligible for Oscar nominations.
The complete list of winners include:
BEST OF THE FEST
Death Of A Shadow
Drama / Belgium / 20 min.
Stuck in a limbo between life and death, a deceased World War I soldier has to collect shadows to regain a second chance at life and love. With two shadows left to collect, he discovers something that shakes his world completely.
Director: Tom Van Avermaet
Producer: Ellen De Waele, Isabelle Mathy
Writer: Tom Van Avermaet
Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts, Laura Verlinden
BEST FOREIGN FILM
Amores Passageiros (Love Drain)
Drama / Brazil / 23 min.
During a routine sewer inspection a lonely worker has an encounter that marks the beginning of a perplexing relationship.
Director: Augusto Canani
Producer: Luciana Tomasi
Writer: Augusto Canani, Lucas Gonzaga
Cast: Osmar Prado, Nadinne Oliveira
BEST DRAMA
Buzkashi Boys
Drama / Afghanistan / 27 min.
In the old city slums of Kabul, a blacksmith’s son and a street urchin dream of a better life against the backdrop of the national sport, Buzkashi. A glimpse of Afghanistan through the eyes of its youngest sons, making their way into manhood in the most war-torn country on Earth.
Director: Sam French
Producer: Ariel Nasr, Martin Roe
Writer: Sam French, Martin Roe
Cast: Fawad Mohammadi, Jawanmard Paiz
BEST COMEDY
Paulie
Comedy / USA / 11 min.
Paulie is a nine year old in the seventh grade. Used to being the smartest kid in the room, Paulie aces every test, wins every spelling bee and science fair, and does not lose. So when school bully Tony beats him one day at an essay contest, Paulie refuses to let it go.
Director: Andrew Nackman
Producer: David Haskell, Chris Abernathy
Writer: David Lee
Cast: Ethan Dizon, Hardy Gatlin
BEST ANIMATION
Fear of Flying
Animation / Ireland / 9 min.
A small bird with a fear of flying tries to avoid heading South for the winter.
Director: Conor Finnegan
Producer: Brunella Cocchiglia
Writer: Conor Finnegan
Cast: Mark Doherty, Aoife Duffin
BEST EXPERIMENTAL
KARA
Animation / France / 7 min.
KARA is being built in an android factory. While conducting tests on “her”, the plant operator finds a bug: KARA thinks! He starts disassembling her, but she begs him to keep her alive.
Director: David Cage
Producer: Guillaume de Fondaumiere
Writer: David Cage
Cast: Valorie Curry, Tercelin Kirtley
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Jujitsuing Reality
Documentary / USA / 17 min.
Despite living with ALS, screenwriter Scott Lew maintains his voice in the world through his scripts, giving added meaning to the expression “living to write.”
Director: Chetin Chabuk
Producer: Diane Becker
Writer: Chetin Chabuk
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Rudimental: Feel The Love
Music Video / USA / 4 min.
The video takes a look at the lives of a downtown youth group in Fletcher Street, Philadelphia featuring unreal scenes of horse- riding through the tough, urban neighborhood.
Director: Bob Harlow
Producer: Sarah Tognazzi, Gaetan Rousseau, Tash Tan
Writer: Bob Harlow, Augusto Sola
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Fallbrook International Film Festival to Now Include Action Films
The Fallbrook International Film Festival has added what they describe as a “new and exciting” category to their 2013 festival: Action! The festival is welcoming filmmakers everywhere to submit their best action packed films for a chance to be featured in this category.
This new category was added not only because of the festival’s expansion, but also because of the action/stunt community’s past involvement. Both Director David Ellis, who is known from everything from his stunts in Scarface and his Second Unit Directing in Master and Commander along with legendary stunt Director Dick Ziker, whose work can be seen in films such as Die Hard and Second Unit Directing in Charlie’s Angels, have both been honored at the festival. Rich Minga, who sits on the Board of Directors, is also an acclaimed stuntman and can be seen in everything from Miami Vice to 2 Fast 2 Furious.
The festival welcomes filmmakers’ submissions, with the late deadline extending through November. The next festival will again be hosted at the UltraStar Cinemas in Bonsall, California April 5, 6, & 7, 2013.image via FaceBook.
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LA INDIE Film Festival to Launch on Friday September 7
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Face 2 Face[/caption]The LA INDIE FILM FESTIVAL kicks off on Friday September 7 and runs through September 13, 2012, at the LOS FELIZ 3 CINEMA (1822 N.Vermont Ave.) in Los Angeles, California. The LA INDIE Film Festival is the partner festival of the well-established LA Comedy Festival.
The Documentaries screening at the festival include the West Coast Premiere of BETTIE PAGE REVEALS ALL, an intimate look at the rise, fall, and rise again of one of the world’s most recognized and controversial sex symbols. With her razor sharp wit and Tennessee twang Page emerges from decades of seclusion to reveal her secret past.
The LA premiere of THE DEVIL AND THE DEATH PENALTY chronicles the current dysfunction within the California death penalty process by examining the case of Lawrence Bittaker, a convicted serial rapist and murderer who has been on San Quentin’s Death Row since 1981.
How can you have 5,000 friends on Facebook, and still feel alone? is the provocative question posed by FACE 2 FACE, a feature-length documentary that follows the 11,000-mile cross-country adventure of award-winning filmmaker, Katherine Brooks, as she travels the country journeying into the homes and lives of 50 strangers that are her facebook friends.Rounding out the documentaries are MY WAY following the antics of the all girl band, The Rebekah Starr Band, as they travel cross country on their way to seeking fame in Hollywood. FREE CHINA: THE COURAGE TO BELIEVE examines human rights in China through the eyes of a Communist Party member and a Chinese American businessman who are persecuted for their spiritual beliefs. And WHO BOMBED JUDY BARI? focuses on the car bombing in May 1990 and its aftermath of Earth First Activists, Judy Bari and Darryl Cheney. The FBI arrested them for bombing themselves. Seven years later, dying of cancer after having survived the bombing, Bari gives her deathbed deposition in a lawsuit against the authorities and as she testifies, the movie flashes back to the colorful actions and antics of Earth First! she depicts. “…The kind of plot worthy of a Hollywood headliner… distinctly American, and distinctly compelling.”–Washington Life Magazine
Among the features is a stellar production of THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH making its US premiere. Amazon UK declares it “a fantastic version.” JUAN IN A MILLION, from Chile, follows a young man when he wakes up on December 17th, 2012 to find the entire city of Santiago empty, why was he left behind? BOOSTER makes its LA premiere after successful screenings and winning the Jury prize for performance at SXSW. It is a crime story focused on the loyalty between brothers featuring a terrific cast headed by Seymour Cassell.
Ireland brings us, COME ON EILEEN, in its West Coast Premiere, follows one summer, mother and ex dancer, Eileen, relapses into alcoholism as she starts a new relationship. We watch as she and her family combust. From the UK, based on the true British rock and roll hoax of 2004, the comedy VINYL tells how washed-up rocker Johnny Jones hoodwinks top record labels, radio DJs and the entire rock music world by releasing his new punk rock single under a fictitious teenage band’s name…now he just needs to recruit a rowdy group of kids and teach them true punk rock spirit!
There are also eleven short program blocks featuring a wide range of genres and styles of filmmaking. In the mix are many premiering and multi-award winning films. Fresh from Comic Con is the multi-racial Western 6GUN and by way of Cannes comes the Russian short, FOREVER AFTER, about a mysterious alien phenomenon.
There are such incredible gems in this lineup, like THE PARACHUTE BALL set during World War II on a secluded farm in Kent, two elderly ladies are unexpectedly called to duty one night when they discover an unconscious German pilot hanging from his parachute in their tree. CROQUEMBOUCHE focuses on a couple hosting a private dinner for four in the early 50’s. One of the guests turns out to be a woman the hostess had an affair with during the Second World War. LIFE ACCORDING TO PENNY, follows a teenage girl that has less than twenty-four hours to free herself and a mentally challenged friend from the Girls’ Home where they are held captive by a sadistic psychiatrist. Penny must draw on all her faith, wits, and courage to bring down a giant and risk everything for one last chance at freedom. THE DARKNESS IS CLOSE BEHIND continues the theme of the teenager in peril, where a teenage boy anxiously watches over his meth cook father and his little brother – but his vigilance is wearing thin.
Not to be missed is the comedy thriller WE THINK NATE TORRENCE IS DEAD. By using only video footage retrieved from an abandoned cell phone, this 23 minute short film chronicles the last 24 hours of actor Nate Torrence before his disappearance in rural Colorado. It leaves the audience assuming only one possible outcome… we think Nate Torrence is dead. And delight in the Australian Production Designers Award winning animated short film, THE CARTOGRAPHER which will suck you into a beautiful world of mystery and intrigue. There are over 70 other dramatic, scary, thrilling short films. Each block is programmed carefully to offer a wide span of storytelling styles. And of course comedies are screened throughout!LA INDIE FILM FESTIVAL runs every night from September 7-13.
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Mark Cousins’ The Story of Film: An Odyssey to open 6th Buffalo International Film Festival
The first three episodes of Mark Cousins’ The Story of Film: An Odyssey have been selected as the Opening Night Presentation of the 6th Annual Buffalo International Film Festival on Friday, September 21, 2012 at 7PM in The Screening Room, 3131 Sheridan, Amherst, NY.
The Story of Film: An Odyssey is an epic, 15-part history of the motion picture as it developed all over the world. Opening Night at BIFF 2012 will present the first three episodes in a single evening with intermissions and special refreshments:
1] Birth Of Cinema (1895-1920)
This opening of The Story of Film: An Odyssey shows the birth of a great new art form, the movies. Filmed in the very buildings where the first movies were made, it shows that ideas and passion have always driven film, more than money and marketing. We hear the story of the very first movie stars, close-ups and special effects and then we travel to Hollywood to see how it became a myth. The story is full of surprises, such as the fact that the greatest, and best, paid writers in these early years were women. And then there’s the glamour: the building of the great movie cathedrals.
2] The Hollywood Dream (1920s)
The movies in the roaring 20s. We see how Hollywood became a glittering entertainment industry and how star directors like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton emerged. But the gloss and fantasy was challenged by movie makers like Robert Flaherty, Eric Von Stroheim and Carl Theodor Dreyer, who wanted films to be more serious and mature. Filmed in Hollywood, Denmark and Moscow, this part looks at the battle over the soul of cinema and some of the greatest movies ever made.
3] Expressionism, Impressionism, Surrealism (1920s)
The 1920s were a golden age for world cinema. In this part, we visit Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Shanghai and Tokyo to discover the places where movie makers were pushing the boundaries of the medium. German Expressionism, Soviet montage, French impressionism and surrealism were passionate new film movements, but less well known are the glories of Chinese and Japanese films and the moving story of one of the great, now forgotten, movie stars: Ruan Lingyu.
The Buffalo International Film Festival runs this year from September 14 (a special theater screening tie-in with Buffalo Curtain-Up!, September 21, 22, September 27-30, 2012. Tickets are available in advance through Eventbrite.com. Early purchases are discounted.
[via press release]